How to USB-charge my tablet?

[Spright]

I own a rather old and obscure Android tablet (Point of View, made in the Netherlands). Its AC charger quickly gets too hot while playing and charging at the same time. The battery icon then starts to blink and I must disconnect it.

Allegedly I can charge with USB too. The manual says it's possible, albeit slower. Doesn't say how to actually do it. When I connect a USB cable to either my PC or to an AC/USB charger, it doesn't charge. However, the tablet does "feel" something, because when it's sleeping and I then connect it to USB it awakens.

When the tablet is connected to a PC, I'm prompted to activate USB storage. But nothing about charging.

There are, by the way, two mini-USB sockets on the tablet, one marked "USB" and the other "Host". Nothing in the manual about what they mean.

Your help would be appreciated.

 

[webworkings]

It should charge just fine when connected via USB to the computer. However, the computer cannot be in sleep mode. Also, it won't charge as fast when connected via USB to a computer, so if you try to do anything while it is, you will be draining it faster that it is charging. The fastest way to charge it, when connected to a computer, is to turn the tablet off, connect it to the computer, and then make sure the computer does not go into sleep mode.

You can avoid the sleep mode problem by changing settings on the computer. Making it possible to charge even when the computer if completely shut off. (That was the way computers used to be, and you had to turn select to turn off the ability to charge/use a port when off. Now it is reversed.)

Also, the tablet is really not made to be used, especially with very active features like games, while plugged in to charge. The strain on the device, the charger and the battery would be quite great. Your best bet would be, to charge it more quickly, turn off the tablet, and let it charge for a few hours.

Some more basic info on your tablet can be found here... http/www.pointofview-online.com/club/FAQ.php

 

[Spright]

Thanks. Are you saying that even though my tablet indicates "Not charging" while connected to a PC through USB, it may actually be charging?

 

[webworkings]

It should be charging, unless the computer is turned off (then it may not work) or the tablet or computer is sleeping, which can also prevent charging. To know for sure, your best bet is to make sure the computer is on (and not sleeping) and the tablet is either on (with sleep turned off) or off completely and just plugged in.

If that doesn't work, then there may be something wrong with the cord. Even the link I added to my post, which takes you to info on that tablet, states it should charge via USB. To see that info click on the link. then on the "Batteries" tab and finally on "How should I charge my device?".

 

[Spright]

No, sorry, nothing works. The tablet won't really charge, no matter what: on, off, or sleeping. It's not about the PC sleeping (it's not) or about the cord (I use the same cord to charge other devices).

But as I said before, it doesn't seem that simple: when I connect the USB cable, the tablet gets a bit warm near the socket, which may indicate low-level charging, and the battery seems to hold stable at whatever percent it was. However, there's no "charging" icon.

As for charging while the tablet is off: funnily enough, this is impossible. Once the tablet is off and I connect a USB cable, it turns immediately on. If I try to turn the tablet off while a USB cable is connected, it turns off and immediately on again.

 

[webworkings]

Very odd. But they add strange features to different devices. If that is the case, the only way to make it charge may well be via a charger cord rather than USB. That does seem really odd though. You might try contacting the manufacturer, before making any purchases, and see if they have any other suggestions or fixes.

 

[1shado1]

Is it also possible that the battery could be pretty much kaput? You did mention that it was an older tablet. Just a thought.